Elizabeth Freeman (Mum Bett)

Hello, my name is Elizabeth Freeman, but for much of my life, people called me Bett. I was born around the year 1744 in New York. During this time, many Black people like me were not free. I was enslaved, which meant I was owned by another person and was not allowed to choose my own life or where I went. When I was just a little girl, my sister Lizzie and I were taken from our home. We were moved to Sheffield, Massachusetts, to live in the house of a man named Colonel John Ashley and his wife, Hannah. I worked in their home for many, many years, cooking, cleaning, and doing whatever they told me to do. It was a difficult life, but I always kept my spirit strong.

As the years went by, big changes were happening in America. People all around me started talking about freedom and independence from England. I would listen carefully to the conversations happening in the Ashley house, hearing words like 'liberty' and 'rights.' In the year 1780, the people of Massachusetts wrote a new set of rules for our state, which they called the Massachusetts Constitution. I was in the room when I heard it read aloud. A few words from that document seemed to echo in my mind: 'All men are born free and equal.' I thought about those words every day. If everyone was born free and equal, then why was I a slave? That powerful idea took root in my heart and gave me hope.

My decision to act came after a painful day. Mrs. Ashley became very angry with my sister, Lizzie, and she grabbed a hot shovel from the fireplace to hit her. I couldn't let that happen, so I jumped in the way and put my arm up to block the blow. The hot metal burned my arm badly, leaving a scar that I would have for the rest of my life. That scar was a constant reminder that I could not live this way any longer. I knew I had to fight for my freedom. I walked all the way to the home of a lawyer named Theodore Sedgwick and bravely asked for his help. In 1781, we went to court. My case, along with that of another enslaved man named Brom, was called Brom and Bett v. Ashley. Mr. Sedgwick stood before the judge and argued that the new constitution meant I could not be a slave. He used those very words I had heard: 'All men are born free and equal.' On August 22nd, 1781, the jury made a decision. They agreed with us. I was finally free!

The very first thing I did as a free woman was to give myself a new name. I was no longer Bett; I was Elizabeth Freeman. My new name was a symbol of my new life. I went to work for Mr. Sedgwick's family, but this time it was different. I was paid for my work, and I was treated with respect. Over the years, I became a well-known governess and midwife in the town of Stockbridge, helping many families. My court case was one of the first steps that led to the end of slavery in all of Massachusetts. I lived a long and full life, to be about 85 years old, and passed away on December 28th, 1829. My story is remembered today as proof that one person's courage and belief in justice can help change the world for everyone.